Graying leaves dusted the road like the ashes from a raging fire, vibrant amber peeking through the storm of foliage, bristling and wavering in the grasp of the northern wind, entwined with the brisk, straight laced twigs that lay like disciplined courtiers at his feet, snapping as he stepped down upon them.

The winter months were always bitter tragedies that acted out their triumphs upon the estate, leaving the forest and wind to whether away at what ever resisted the cooling threats of fall. And here it was, not even yet All Hallows Eve, and the air had already the bite of impending ice.

Fathomless dark eyes swept their surroundings disregarding the overgrown tendrils of ivy and bared teeth of the thickets with a dispassionate expression, taking a calculated step forward, as something white flashed through the trees up the trail a ways, in a skittering, whimsical twirl.

Something changed when he saw her – his mouth curled into a tentative would-be-smile and he nodded to her as she passed by him at a run, nothing more than a flurry of ivory cloth and ebony locks, and a glimmer of something ruby catching in the dying sunlight.

But his eyes didn't change, stuck in a perpetual state of unruffled disinterest, their depths giving no sign of the apparent amusement he showed hints of harboring as they followed his companions movements carefully.

Yet she laughed all the same, taking his hands as she rushed back to him, whirling about in his loose grasp in a mock- pirouette, skirts twisting about her elegantly, smile wide and exuberant, cheeks flushed from being outdoors.

But it was wrong. All wrong. Even her usual haunting melody was wrong, off key. Her laugh was too forced, too dark, and her eyes too cold.

But she laughed and he smiled as they continued down the path to the main house, scarlet mantles brushing the ground, causing the leaves to flame out behind them, like trails of fire roaring in their tracks, the setting sun, bathing all in red.

Crimson.

Deepest crimson.

This was all they had.

A/n: So this is my first non Elly/Leo fanfic - focusing mostly on Glen, Jack and Lacie - for this fandom, so I feel quite accomplished to step out of the box for a moment. (Though the sequel is going to be about those two -_-)

When the raws for the last chapter came out I knew I had to write this. It's been bugging me for days, and here it is. I'm sorry for the short length of this chapter, but I promise that most of the others will be longer. Much longer. This is my sort of Halloween story for all those who care, and my 1st M rated one. Though unfortunately, It'll be for gore and insanity on the most part. ^^; This will be updated as frequently as possible, seeing as I've been working on it even in class lately, and I have half of the next chapter already completed. It should be up within the next two days or so.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. Reviews are appreciated.